Giving up on Lake Fork

My brother and I have been fishing Lake Fork for 30 years...I guess we were spoiled by the great trips we had in the 80's and 90's. Even our young sons were catching 4-8 lb bass back then. We took 4 springtime (primetime) trips last year ( one trip with a guide), and 5 trips this spring (one with a guide). Total haul for 9 trips.....1-6lb bass and 26 bass under 3 lbs. 27 measley bass in 9 trips (two guide trips to boot). It's time to reconsider if the 210 mile roundtrip is worth it anymore. It's hard to say goodbye to a place that provided so many good memories. I understand that fishing Fork can be a humbling experience but the good days used to balance out the bad days......not anymore it seems. Are we the only ones that have come to this point ?

I was there this weekend and with all the boats on the water I can see why they don't bite like they did in the past.
You have to remember that Fork is one of the premier fisheries for BIG bass and will always have alot of pressure on it.
Just my opinion of course.

Most locals, including guides, would like to forget Jan-Mar this year. Crazy weather patterns along with a colder than normal winter made for tough fishing this spring. Overall it seemed the fish were harder to find and even harder to stay on. On some days it still fishes like the 90's with good numbers and quality.

I've talked with 3 guides in the last month or so, and all 3 said the lake is fishing very strange this year, and yea the winter was cold, but they all think something else is up. No idea what, but the lake is just fishing different than usual.

Words of wisdom from someone who knows of what he speaks...

The lack of grass throughout the lake also hurts the results of the dream days. It is what it is, and that's one of the best lakes in Texas, you guys hang in there it'll get better. This spring was screwy, once the water warmed all the fish ran to the banks it seemed at once... We were catching barfish, bass, crappie, sandbass, catfish, and gennel on minner's off or dock with the grandkids in March and early April

Constant fishing pressure has taken it's toll over the years.

I heard that Athens is on fire!

It is not as good as it use to be. But it is still a lot better than most of our lakes.

Athens has been and still is on fire. Finished first in club tournament this last weekend with 13.5 lbs. had a beautiful 25" - 9lb for a kicker. Lots of slots up to 20" and tons of small fish.

I've been saying that for years. I had an argument the other day with a co-worker. He said that the next state record would come from fork. I said there is no way!! It is waaaaaaaaaaaaay to pressured. No top fish have come from fork for years. The records were set long before side-imaging sonars, GPS, and all the modern technology. He says I'm wrong, but I'm proven right as every day goes by. It's just a lake, nothing more. Don't be suckered by the past and all of the hype. But I am glad that my boat lives 2 miles from it and I get to fish it pretty often.

I still haven't heard a good explaination of how the hydrilla disapeared. The loss of the hydrilla, too much fishing pressure and too many tournaments have all contributed to the tough fishing. Also there are a ton of guides on Fork too. I'm his frustrated brother.

Fished this weekend 0 out. My wife hate lake fork, loaded up and when to Holbrook and caught some nice Bass. It will be a while before going back to fork.

I doubt I will ever give up on it. It kicks out enough good days and good fish for me I keep coming back. I think a lot of people simply keep trying to fish it like they did 5, 10, 15, 20 years ago. Things change and you have to change with it. I have heard for years you can't catch them shallow year round out there. All I can say is sure, OK, whatever. I can take you out in the hottest part of the day in summer and we can smash them in 2' of water or less. I am talking good sized slot fish and usually in decent numbers. More than one TFFr has been in those areas with me in my boat and saw it as well. Is it always a sure thing? Heck no but its consistent. Caught them in same type areas in freezing cold water too and super shallow. My point is you got to get out of the same routine throwing the same baits at times. The fish are there its just up to us to figure them out.

+1

Good Points Mark

Agree with Mark. Don't give up on it. Habitat is changing and so are fish patterns. Shallow fishing anglers have been hit the hardest. I fish deeper than most even during the spawn. Hang in there

The other thing on Fork that helps a ton is to get the hell off the beaten path. If you get in line and are chunking the same baits in the same areas 100 boats are you will have bad days. Too many fish in that lake to have to do that. Get a good map and honestly start breaking it down one section at a time. If you got a spot in Birch you like go find something similar in a less busy creek. Spend more time on TM than the big motor as well. There are days they simply will not bite so use those days to explore the lake and always make a point to try and fish an area you have little to no experience in. Lots of pleasant surprises when you do that.

One thing this year I have noticed is how much more effective moving baits have been all spring. Hell it was the same way back in the fall for me. I could get a few bites on bottom baits but go to a moving bait and then the bite turns on. Might be attributed to the fish roaming more due to low water and increased competition in shallower water from sandbass etc. Might be a coincidence or a confidence deal for me but this whole spring the moving baits have been a lot better producers. Even on the slowest of days.

Trying to produce the next world record was fun while it lasted but it's time to bring back the more aggressive Northern strain bass to Texas lakes. It is the only long term solution.

Mark is right on! The lake has changed over the years but the fisherman have not! That's a fact! I fish it regularly along with a bunch of other and easily have 50 fish days!

I'll put it to you like this! You keep getting your jaw popped at hooters eating wings you prolly gonna eat a salad from somewhere differen!

I see people constantly throwing spinnerbaits and white lizards and asking me where the fish are in the lake...... When I can see 3-5 slot fish swimming around their boat........

Mark is right, last summer we went down when it was hot. We were throwing cranks, spoons, jigs and plastic in deep water and only caught a few fish. Our last evening there we tied on jigs and went shallow. We caught a 30 lb bag in about 20 minutes and continued catching fish, a lot of fish from 6 pm until 2 am. It was unreal. You just have to try new stuff. I would have never thought a jig in 2' of water would have been the ticket in 100 degree weather.

LOL... Yeah but Zeet, not many of us have peepers like yours I swear, you can see a keeper in a shoe box .
Mark is spot on in how to attack the lake, it's under a lot of fishing pressure the same old same old ain't gonna work in most situations.. Just how good are YOU.

I have to agree with the Post Starter and had this discussion with a retired guide that loved on the lake in the glory days... he won't go back. Why? he says it sickens hm to see what it's become and how it changed.
Housing has lined the banks and cleared trees, brush etc. and changed the run off in many creeks and coves.
Slime started and hydrilla stopped growing. Farms left and golf courses came in changing, no ruining areas that fish never left, now you can't get a bite there. The LLMB? Virus took it's toll to a level we may never know. Timber rotted and brush piles are gone and were never re-built. Gone may be the days the guides constructed holes full of trees and brush and loaded them with crawdads to ensure a Jig Bite like no other. Yeah that happened.
Silt filled in Lake Fork Creek and the banks wore off in Little Caney creek Coffee Creek Area.
Dale Creek Island doesn't fill with grass, No Name Point has a water outlet that ruined it and creates a current that wasn't there for 20+ years.

Every local fisherman's house used to have a Charcoal Skeeter Starfire 150 with Yamaha 150 on it because they knew where every brood pond dam was and they held fish.

The first Guides I ever fished with.... Barnes, Stevenson, McCarty, Collins, Davidson, Clark, Parker, Davenport, Clifton, Kells, Euker, Snider, Canada, Duplechain guys and gals that fished it when it was consistent for 3 days straight we caught more fish larger than 7 lbs. in 2 years than has been caught in the last 10 maybe more.

We're not talking about 15 - 20 3 - 5 lb. Fish more like 27 7 - 10 before lunch on one creek turn! and if the "Sticks" usually northern business men were of any count at detecting bites and setting hooks the number could explode not to mention most fish could break you off on something in 2 seconds.

We followed 100's of 5 - 10+ Lb. fish all year long, from the winter humps, on the road beds, to the Points, back of coves to spawn and back to the humps in the Fall. It was incredible and consistent, neither of which can be said today, at least not near the numbers.

Does she still produce? absolutely and will always be a treasure and if you weren't lucky enough to fish it in the beginning, then you really have no idea what to compare it to because there has never been anything like it since or possibly ever will be.

I have a map that has 300+ 10lb fish caught, weighted and most released that used to hang on Ron Kelly's Door. Very few of those spots has produced a fish over 7 lbs in the last few years due to change.

Say what you want, believe what you know, but it will never be the same.

Denny

Fork can be tough for sure and you have to adjust. Case in point, when I started fishing it in the early 90's it was 3 to 4 feet low and lots of folks were complaining they weren't getting the bites they were used to. I think what it boiled down to was folks were still trying to make holes produce that were holding fish when it was full and the fish had adjusted to the new depth and for the most part weren't holding in the old reliable places. I came into it not knowing any of this info and just fished it based on general fishing knowledge. I didn't get bit at first but once I kind of sorted it out I started catching fish. Like others I think the lack of grass and the extremely cold temps we had this winter are still in play. A few more degrees upward in the lake temp and the hydrilla and lily pads begin to pop and it will get better.....It will never see it hay days but it will get more like what we are used to seeing......

Amen brother!
This man knows what he speaks.

Guess this guy should have read this post before going to Fork.....

http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbt..._Lake_Fo#UNREAD

I had a great day on Fork this past Friday.

I know you probably doubt me but there were days when guys from Kansas in 1989 I think had 13's 2 days in a row and didn't even want to photo much less weight 8 - 10's.

But I agree Ozio has been on some nice fish lately, hope he keeps it up... Very Impressive.

Denny

Agreed. I've had some of my best days out there the last two or three years in the summer fishing skinny water. One day stands out where we had probably 35-40 fish between 3-8 lbs.

I gave Fork a break for 6 years. Just couldn't produce to expectations. First trip back I boated a 9.75. It was an awesome day. Haven't beat that yet and that was about 10 years ago. Just give it a break, but don't it up completely.

She may not live up to the glory days but she is definitely better than most lakes. The slot fish that people gripe about make most anglers pretty darn happy anywhere else. She still puts out 10+lb fish regularly, the number of other places that do that could probably be counted on one hand. I'm sure not giving up on the old girl.

All lakes change, even great lakes change as they age.


I've had too many great days on Fork recently to agree with someone who would declare that Fork is "dead". She will never be what she was "back in the day" when anyone could chunk at 80% of the bank lines and catch fish all day long.

But a big part of the satisfaction of catching fish is figuring them out day to day.

Don't be so quick to give up on the old girl, she ain't as pretty as she once was but she still has BIG



















FISH!

Falcon and Amistad being down is not helping Fork traffic.

I analyzed Fork over the last 30 years comparing 2 things:
Number of fry/fish stocked
Average size and actual weight of SALS

They have overstocked Fork for years which is shrinking the average fish the. The data is there, and it doesn't lie.

http://youtu.be/HluB1vPgH4U

+1

I was there Friday and had a blast! caught 25(slot)fish off beds fishing behind other boats. it's all timing I guess.

What changed, no longer a constant level lake, and SAND BASS.

You will never convince a Fork apologist that it is washed up.

from the Urban Dictionary:

Washed up

Something that has once had it's peak of greatness far too long ago, and is now still being over used, over played, and is still spoon fed through the media, even though it's gotten extremely old, bland, worn out, and is just sad to still see around.

While it can be argued that Fork doesn't fish like it did in the 80's and 90's, to imply that it is sad to still see around is pure crazy. If people don't like it and can find something better, then move your a$$ on down and get out of my way. I have fish to catch. GO ------>

My nephew caught a 32 lb sack out there yesterday on school fish with a swimbait.

Yeah, it's crowded. No, it's not the lake it was.
But it is Lake Fork, Texas and the wily blackbass still lives in it.

we never had the parking lot style fishing back in it's heydey. divide the early 90 numbers by 3 and they would be similar to present day results. also, a twice caught fish is much trickier to fool again. i agree with the cover (or lack thereof) complaints. if/when the grass returns ( or whenever the water returns to cover all the brush that has grown up on the once shallows), look out.

What about when the sandbass feast on all the fry.

Dentonian, since ya'll have given up on Fork, where are ya'll gonna take your trips now? Falcon, Amistad, Choke Canyon? I've fished Fork since the day it opened. Been there through the good, the bad and the ugly. Still have a place and keep my boat there. I despise the crowds and all the tourneys cluttering up MY lake. There were five tourneys on Saturday, alone. But it's still the best largemouth fishery going in Texas right now.

Well.... BYE!

We smacked the big slots this weekend. Saturday our best 5 went 37-39lbs. I would say 15 were over 5lbs.

I thought fork was doing pretty good. We fished it last Friday and Saturday. We had 23 fish on Friday from 7am-2pm and 19 on Saturday. Started out throwing wacky worms and the trusted drop shot in 1-4ft in the morning and switched to a light C-rig with a zoom trick worm in 5-8ft for the afternoon. Nothing over 5lbs but plenty of action.

This is pure awesome - just so you know Zeeter is not joking! But then again neither is Red Skeeter when he says Zeeter can see a fish in a shoe box! Fishing is not the same....doesn't mean its not good or even great. I love the lake and love the challenge of figuring out how to catch them ( I do use a white lizard occasionally this time of year - may have to review that! - spinner bait not so much).

What lakes can/ have produced 50 lbs bag? (Not tournament weights, best 5 for any boat/day)
50+ lbs bag? Lake Fork, Lake Falcon, ______________,
40+ lbs bag?
30+ lbs bag?
20+ lbs bag? (Hopefully all Texas lakes)
>20 lbs bag?

I must say sometimes I can see where the man is coming from. You get on here and see folks just hammerin em. Then we go out and catch 3. Now I will say this we don't catch many.... Matter off act I don't think I've ever really caught more than a limit out here but we always seem to catch some nice ones. Up to damn near 13lbs to be more accurate and I'm hooked for life because of that. Plus, it is called fishin..... I just enjoy being out there knowing that at any given moment I could possibly catch the biggest bass of my life!!!

The Sandbass have started a Union

I guess I like going to lakes where I don't have to do so much "figuring out". I fish a lot of lakes. When I find one where trying to catch fish is like solving Chinese algebra I tend not to go back very often.

If I had to rate Fork fishing over the years, I would assign the following numbers...with 10 the best and 0 the worst:

From the time the lake opened through the early 90s: 10
Early 90s to mid 90s: 9
1999 through early 2000s: 1
Last five years: 4

The fishing is much better now than it was during the ten year stretch starting with the LMBV and grass die-off in the late 90s, but it is NOWHERE close to what it used to be.

Just my opinion, but when the grass disappears bass become nomadic roamers and much harder to catch. Unfortunately for fishermen hydrilla is becoming a thing of the past in most Texas lakes.

Come to big Tex, where the really big fish are. Catch your limit in an hour and spend the rest of the day swimming on sand beaches and looking at hot bush.

I am one of the under privileged that did not get to fish the lake in the hay day so I cannot speak to those times. However I have been fishing two other lakes as well as two trips to fork and was unable to catch anything larger than 5 lbs except at Fork. In those two trips one +7lb and the other trip +8lbs so I will keep visiting Old Mother Fork.

I would not give up on Fork just yet! Patterns and baits have changed over the years tremendously since the 80's at least that's what my grandpa used to tell me when he would get the chance to come down if I were y'all I would try and come down early spring that way the fish have not been pressured so much yet or try to come in the summer months in the last 4 years summer has been some of the best fishing for me you can still have some awesome days on Fork

Ill be down there for the first time next week, fishing Monday and Tuesday. Hopefully I will have something positive to say when I return.

Don't give up. Went one day each weekend three weeks in a row. 1st trip was very windy and only caught 6 fish. Made a change the next week,(Good Friday) and boated 20 lost another 10. Went last Saturday and caught 13. Biggest was 9.2 last Saturday and 8.13 on Good Friday. Just have to keep making adjustments.

the sand bass likely never see the fry as they are usually cove bound, and the sandies are in open water. they do partake in the shad population which has to cut down on the bass forage and thus reduces the lmb growth.

LMB will eat the sand bass

Yep, it's dead alright..... Just go and fish the other lakes,and leave the few of us "fork lovers" alone in our poor dead lake. Just go to the other lakes and but we will still fish and love our "old FORK"....

Shhh! Just a joke folks.

The thing about Fork is just one cast can change your whole day. I fished one evening with a guide and between us we had exactly one bite, but it was 11 pounds 5 oz. Another morning I had not had a bite in 3 hours, but when I did get one it was 10 pounds 2 oz. My two trips this year have not been real productive for numbers, but I have been broken off twice with "good" feeling fish that I never got to see because I couldn't slow them down. I've had 100+ bass days and days where we got skunked. Feel free to give up on Fork if you want, but I think it's the best spot around to improve my personal best or have a day that you will be talking about for the next 20 years. You just have to be patient and really love to fish as much as you love to catch.

True story, we sure do get spoiled now don't we. I wish I could teach my better half that much ^^

Lady Fork is very fickle, you gotta spend time with her, talk nice to her, and maybe just maybe she'll let you in for a magic moment.

+ 1 Never give up!!, if you give up, put it on the trailer and go home!!

Best advice on this thread. There's no doubt Fork has some magical days in store if you keep giving her the chance. But it will definitely humble you a few times during the quest.

I don't fish Fork much, but I've had my best fishing day there and also my most humbling. Can Fork be more difficult than most; absolutely, those fish have seen more baits than the stock boys at Bass Pro. Before giving up on it completely, I'd pick out a day when things are to your advantage--pick a prefront day on a Wednesday or a Thursday--when the lake is rested from all the Friday-Sunday fishing pressure. Choose a branch/arm that sparks your interest that doesn't get a lot of pressure. Throw what you have confidence in, but also try some plastics/baits that aren't on the shelves at BPS, Academy, or the tackle stores around the lake.

I wish more people would give up on Fork.

Fork is still a great fishery. Has it had its hay day, I think so. But you can have good days and bad on any lake. But you keep going because its what you love to do and never know what each cast may bring. The lake has been changing over the years from pressure, to less grass, now the sand bass and fluctuating water levels that will forever change this lake I think. My outlook is simple: adapt or die. Fish are still there, people catch them everyday. My 2cents.

If a lake is to hard to fish it's probably not worth fishing.
Your not going to miss out on Lake Fork so you go find you a lake with fish in it and enjoy fishing again.

I've been fishing there since the 1990 and can say that even since the grass has gone it has made it super tough. My father has not adapted to the change and barely catches fish there. I have drastically changed my fishing style and we have always had good trips after a day or 2 of figuring them out. I have learned to drop shot, deep structure, get better electronics, Alabama rig, and use crazy colors. I have had to throw out conventional fork tactics and make drastic changes to become successful. Some times it take one day and some times 2 or 3 days to get on a good pattern. Use the change to your advantage to try something you have never tried before. This lake is still one of the best bass lakes in the nation.

I made the mistake of watching this video and now I'm gonna have nightmares tonight of him screaming

Just like a lot of folks I did not have the pleasure of fishing fork much in the 80s. It took me a while to learn the lake but I feel very comfortable on it now and am having great success. I had to make a lot of adjustments in my fishing styles but once I figured it out Wow! We were there on Tuesday and caught 25 with the biggest being just over 10. Windy points with a swimbaits and spawning pockets with a wacky style senko fished real slow produced all our fish. I caught the 10 pounder in Chaney creek down by the dam. I hope this helps you in your decision not to give up on Fork. It truly is a great fishery.

its time you change guides for 1 not every guide fishs the same on fork I been with 9 different guides purpose of this is to learn the lake different times of the season I cant count the number of big fish I have broken off this year like mark said pick area of the lake and learn it pick it apart with different baits. I am going tell you I have been humbled on this lake so many times but I have also been rewarded look at share a Lunker already this year we have 3 from this lake in short time, you cant expect to this show up here and catch fish right left its not going to happen you have to do your time and learn from it and soon you will be like Zeeter 50 plus day lol

Not sure what the lol was intended for bud, and I doubt anyone wishes to be like me! But 50 fish days are not uncommon on Fork for sure! You are more then welcome to come back seat it or heck run the boat and I will gladly show you what Fork can produce!

I know a very few guides on fork that catch 50 plus days but I will say with a few it happens a lot more then most people will believe. I was on the lake in 2012 about a 150 days we had close to 50 days where we went out after noon on the hottest days and would have 30 to 50 fish days every day. The lake will put out huge numbers. I do not know Zeeter I think I met him once a few weeks ago at LFM but I will tell you the lake can do it. I have not been in the boat with Zeeter but I have NO reason to believe he can not do what he said he did.

Let me put this out there... I'm not saying I go out and have 50 fish days every trip, nobody does, heck a majority of the days I don't for dang sure but the topic was to give up on Lake Fork. I was simply saying you can still very easily have 50 fish days on Fork, never said I do it every day! I get my tail kicked and humbled just like the rest more days then not!

You show me a lake that produces day in and day out like Lake Fork then I could see a reason to give up! But I haven't seen one yet!

Zeeter take me fishing I need a 50 fish day!! when I get back from El Salto next week we're going!!

Hahaha you sux! Heck you beat me to all the good spots anyway Oz. You need to take me fishing, I can't catch nothing but small ones

Well, it does get pretty crowded.....

Zeet has won his fair share of big events of Fork, so has Ozzy, those two guys can rejuvenate your belief in the old girl if you give them a chance....Especially this time of year, you'll wear them out...
Things change, we have to change with them to continue to be successful. And yes I was there from the very first days of the lakes birth, we lived on Lake Winnsboro and watched Fork fill up, and fished it as it did so..

This got funny quick. I can back Zeeter up on 50+ fish days. Shoot, me and him have thrown 80 to 100 in a day. Not bragging but just saying Fork is just fine. I was just out there in a weather swing for 3 days and still caught about 25 or 30 a day. It's not hard to do. You have to adapt though.

How do you think we got the name "Mafia" out there! Hahahaha.

I am a guide in Florida and fish Toho, Stick Marsh and the Big O. Stick Marsh has more bass per acre than any lake in the US according to the Fishery dept in Fla. I left this fishery during our spawn to come back and fish Fork this April. It was 4 feet low like years ago. We caught over 25 fish in 2 days over 5 lbs. One 9.2 one 9 several 7 lb fish and the rest 5-6 lbs. I watched all kinds of boats go by us real fast in fish fast and real fast out. The problem seems most guys are in too big a hurry. my motto fish slow or go home.

Sink.... Is that you? I didn't know you was back in town!

I know, let's have a spelling contest instead of fishing!

Hahaha LF mafia

I caught 4 one day.........

How does one become a member of this "Lake Fork Mafia" you speak of?

Just came back from our annual boy's spring trip and we whacked them, but nothing better than 5 pounds.
Lot's of 17 to 19 inch slots.